Surviving the Round robin - Rotational Leadership Programmes become the cornerstone of corporate talent development

Singapore, Singapore (PRWEB) April 28, 2012

As Rotational Leadership Programmes become the cornerstone of corporate talent development, being a newly-rotated individual has its inherent set of opportunities and challenges.

Meeting high expectations and earning the team’s respect are just some of the challenges. Nicholas Goh, CEO of Verztec Consulting Pte Ltd – a leading multilingual communications company headquartered in Singapore, examines how new leaders can excel each time they enter a new scene.

Former Deputy Minister of British Columbia, Ken Dobell once said, “Leadership cannot be taught, but can be developed.” Heeding this call, the recent phenomenal rise in Rotational Leadership Programmes indicates its use by many companies to develop talent and leadership.

When new leaders are rotated into a new role, what can they expect? Comparisons are inevitable, which means leaders will be measured against the benchmark set by their predecessors. Should the leader re-set everything or conform to all that was passed down? What is required to succeed?

Whether rotation is imminent or nigh, these are, or should be, real concerns if the leader is to be effective. Nothing beats psycho-social preparedness when it comes to team management.

Objectivity over Extreme Leadership

If you are a leader being rotated, the temptation to quickly make an impact in your new post, demonstrate your authority, or even to start setting up your own “dynasty” is hard to deny. However, you must not throw caution to the wind. Heralding a revolution when you are rotated into a new role can have negative impact on the harmony of the team. As people are naturally resistant to change, you need to tread with care.

Should you then keep everything status quo? In the short-run, people will be placated as they will be doing what they have always been doing. However, in the long-term, respect will not be earned, and not trying to do things differently or better will affect how you are assessed on your ability to lead and excel.

Surviving the Whirl

In the end, how you decide to lead depends on what you are looking to achieve. And bearing in mind that your performance in each and every role is being monitored and measured, here are certain survival tips to consider when being rotated into a new leadership role.

1.    Be objective

Change management is a topic that has inspired much literature and discussion in recent decades. Change for the sake of changing is not encouraged. Treat being rotated in as a chance to review what has been working well and how you could take it to the next level, or to optimise areas that have not been working as well. You must be clear on how the change will benefit the people involved, and the positive impact that it will create.

Then, whether you plan to completely overhaul how the team works or just to implement a minor tweak, creating majority buy-in is key. And this takes us to the next point.

2.    Engage the people

Be in constant dialogue with the people in the team. It facilities access to the collective experience from the team, and is also the most effective way to understand what worked well under the previous regime. After all, a sincere boss who truly believes in improving processes and the environment is hard not to respect and listen to.

Communication could come in the form of informal chats along the hallway or structured sessions and meetings. In totality, it gives your team the opportunity to get to know you and to adapt to your leadership style.

Concurrently, don’t forget to proactively involve your mentor. Engage the mentor in discussions; share the challenges you face; and, together, formulate plausible solutions. You will glean the most effective feedback and develop the best means to handle issues this way.

3.    Understand the big picture

Be proactive. From understanding how the department functions and the role it plays in the bigger corporate picture, to how each team member works – all these will give you a deeper appreciation in a relatively-new environment. Take the time to review work processes, hold team-wide meetings or even engage higher management to help transform the team for the better. Not only will this further increase your experience and knowledge of your new environment, your hard work and dedication will also earn you the respect of the team.

4.    Life after You

As you rotate out of your posting, spare a thought for your successor and provide a succinct handover by writing out clearly what you have implemented and the rationale behind the changes. Be contactable to your successor so that the transition for all will be seamless.

"Twenty years ago," says Jeff Sonnenfeld, Associate Dean at the Yale School of Organisation and Management, "only 7% of firms hired CEOs from the outside. Now it's 50%."

Finding leaders and grooming talent within the fold is becoming a necessity. The Rotational Leadership Programme is one of the key management tools that help identify individuals who have the drive and resourcefulness to succeed amidst challenges.

About the Author:

Nicholas Goh is the CEO of Verztec Consulting Pte Ltd, an international ISO 9001:2008 provider of Global Content Management and Localization services in over 60 languages.For more information on Verztec, please visit http://www.verztec.com.

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